On-location Makeup Artist and Bridal Hairstylist

Category: My Weddings

I started something new this year. Instead of just responding to emailed bridal inquiries, I tried to schedule quick phone calls with all potential brides. I like the personal aspect of a phone call in a world in which we spend so. much. time behind screens. I had toyed with the idea of a quick get-to-know-you chat, and when I had lunch last January with one of my favorite fellow artists, Joanna Bastermajian, she mentioned that was one of the first things she does with potential brides. I have learned that Joanna is a thoughtful and all-around wise woman, and I respect her business acumen as well as her artistic talent, so I decided to go for it. When I think about that day back in January, there are a number of things that were discussed and mulled over that actually really set the tone for this year (but that’s a separate blog post).

This is all to say, that when I got an email from a potential bride named Jessica, I asked if we could have a quick chat. She agreed, and 2 minutes into our call I had decided she sounded kick-ass and I was hoping she’d decide to move forward with booking. AND it turns out that she had gotten my name from Joanna! (It’s a small world, friends. I love my band of makeup artists that work together and spread the love–more on them in another blog post, too!)

But back to Jessica. As we talked, she shared with me more about the day she and her fiance had been dreaming up. A small, intimate party on the rooftop of one of their favorite restaurant’s in Chicago’s West Loop, Little Goat. Their closest friends, lots of beer and great music. And the bride would be prepping that morning in the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel because–get this—she was on the architectural team that oversaw it’s re-design. And all of this awesomeness photographed by Jennifer Shaffer.

Did I say K-I-C-K-A-S-S?!?

You can imagine my delight when Jessica decided to book me for hair and makeup for her wedding day!

I met Jessica, along with her mom and sister, on the day of her trial. At that point, she was planning to wear a short, deep-blush-colored dress that she had found and loved, and that was NOT a wedding dress. It fit perfectly with her non-traditional approach. We did her hair and makeup preview, and left undecided in terms of a lip shade, because she really wanted to pinpoint one that would look perfect with the color of her dress. BUT THEN….

She just happened to pop into BHLDN…and well, you can guess what happened! She found an amazing dress with a CAPELET and so on wedding day, we just had to go with a gorgeous warm red lip to play up her beautiful coloring. I mean, seriously!

Jessica’s directions to me were to make her look “like myself, elevated”. Perfect! With skin like that, and such a lovely contrast with dark brows and hair, my task was easy. I love to give my brides glowing skin (meaning strategic coverage that isn’t caky–with just the right amount of highlight!) and a balanced eye and lip look.

Jessica had also emailed me just before her trial that she’d chopped off her hair, and asked me if that was a problem. I assured her, as I do all my brides, that the most important thing is that YOU like the way YOU LOOK. I will work with you to make you look your best, but you are the judge of what makes you feel beautiful and look amazing! We went with sleek bouncy curls that played up her hair’s natural shine and her jeweled pins added the perfect touch and contrast in her dark hair.

I also got to do hair and makeup for her mom, sister, and soon-to-be Mother-in-law. What a fun, relaxing morning we had! When Jessica sent me her pictures from that day, I had to ask for some of the detail shots, because she and Brandon really incorporated their personalities into every aspect.

Donuts on the Paperless Post invite! (Jessica’s dad handed out pink donuts instead of cigars when his daughters were born—are you kidding me?!) Heart eyes…

Custom (and I mean Jessica designed this bag!) welcome packages for all the guests…they love Bloody Mary’s and Brandon works for Miller–is this so Chicago or WHAT?

Then, her friend gave her this and we all died. DIED.

She made it with the help of Unearthed Paper Co. via Etsy. I want one!

Have I digressed from talking about hair and makeup? Can you blame me? Back on topic…

Because of Jessica’s role in the re-design of the hotel, she and Brandon were able to take some photos inside some of the sexy spaces of the Chicago Athletic Association, a privilege usually reserved for those tying the knot on-location. These lucky two got to have their fun photo shoot and then go party at Little Goat!

I’m gonna say it again, K-I-C-K-A-S-S!

What a great group. Look at those proud parents!

I absolutely love that Jessica invited Brandon’s mom to hang out that morning and have her hair and makeup done. As the mom of two boys she had never done anything like it, and told me when she sat in my chair, she’d never had her makeup done! New favorite!

I LOVE SISTERS.

And her sister wound up wearing the dress Jessica had planned to wear. PERFECT with a rose lip and romantic hair ( I wish you could see the back of this updo! You can on my Instagram 😉

Also, I LOVE MOMS.

I seriously have the best chats with the mothers on wedding day. Job perk, for sure! Mom’s just needed a bit of volume and softness for an elegant finish. I LOVE doing makeup on moms because it lets me focus on brows, which many moms share with me have faded. Mothers of the brides—I got you!

I loved working with Jessica and her family to come up with hair and makeup looks that highlighted their best features. And of course, one of my favorite things about this job is getting photos back to see how everything came together!

Jessica sent me this shot because the art matched her lipstick, and it is AMAZING.

And it even looks awesome in black and white. I love when I get photos like this so I can demonstrate what to me is a crucial aspect of good wedding makeup. Wedding makeup MUST look good in color AND in black and white! No debate!

Jessica, you were a glowing bride on your wedding day, and a joy to work with in the months leading up to your wedding. Thank you for choosing me to be a part of such a special day. #leofiorellafest was truly a celebration of the love you and Brandon share! I wish you all the best for the future, and many more joyous times full of good friends, great music, delicious food and beer! Cheers!

I “met” Renee the same way I meet most of my brides–via email. But unlike most of my brides, who have found me thanks to personal referrals from a past clients, friends or photographers, Renee was the first of a new wave of brides–the ones who found me on Instagram. I find it hard to describe how thrilling it was to get her email, and realize that all those hours of typing with my thumbs might actually have been for good reason! I think I floated on a happy cloud for a few days after our first exchange. #winning

While Renee lives in Brooklyn, she and her fiance were planning a Chicago wedding at one of my favorite city venues, Room 1520. We set a date for her trial, and when I met her (finally, in person!) she was just as warm and as lovely as her emails had suggested. As we chatted about the details of her wedding, she revealed a truly all-star line-up of vendors, headed by Nicole at Urban Allure and I started to get really excited for her and Fabien’s big day. I can’t wait any longer so get excited, because photographer Lidia Codrean captured every single part of Renee and Fabien’s vision exquisitely.

As we talked about her vision for her bridal look, Renee shared with me that she normally wears a deep red lip as part of her signature look, but that she was hesitant to do so, because of the colors she had chosen for her bridesmaids. Look at these beautiful pink and blush tones–with those bouquets by LaRue Floral!

I agreed, and we decided that maybe it would be better to still do a statement lip, but veer more towards a deep pink. We knew no matter what, we wanted her lips to be the focal point, so I kept the rest of her bridal makeup very classic, old-Hollywood. To me this means, soft matte skin, defined eyes with crisp liner and just enough lashes to bring out her eyes and balance her whole look without over-powering.

I left our bridal preview with detailed notes on what I had used, and also pictures of the look we created. On wedding day, I might make skincare adjustments based on how my client’s skin is behaving, and of course I match their foundation and color to whatever shade they are that day, regardless of what we did at the preview…after all, if a bride gets a tan, or loses sun-kissed color, I want to match their wedding day skin, not whatever they looked like on trial day! I also always encourage my brides to wear their makeup for the rest of the day, taking note of how everything holds up, and letting me know if they have any feedback for me. It’s really a collaborative process and I love that while I bring my expertise and professional products to the preview, it’s also really important that my brides share with me what they want for their bridal beauty look, and are honest with me about how they feel I interpret their vision!

A few days after our trial, Renee emailed me and said that while she loved the look we created, she just didn’t feel like herself without her signature red lipstick. I am so glad she was honest about what made her feel beautiful, because my friends, you cannot believe how stunning she was…

Are you ready?

It’s almost TOO good!

Perfection.

Renee’s lovely friends were some of the sweetest bridesmaids I’ve ever worked with, and our morning at the Chicago Athletic Hotel was dreamy. We had a view over Millennium Park of sailboats on Lake Michigan, and once everyone was ready, they headed out for pictures at the Art Institute. Oh, Chicago!

Stunning. I mean, STUNNING.

Beautiful romantic hair by Annie of Epoch Salon!

Beautiful bridal makeup will look good in black & white AND in color photographs!

I also make sure my brides makeup looks good from all angles…those LASHES!

I mean, these pictures. So good!

I also have to include photos of some of my favorite people on wedding day–the moms! I encourage my brides to include mothers in the hair and makeup on wedding day, even (and especially) if they don’t normally wear makeup. They also probably don’t wear a sequined dress, and it’s all about finding balance and looking special, but not overdone. In many cases, I do a trial with the mom as well, so she gets excited for the big day, and not nervous that I will make her look unrecognizable, I did a trial with Renee’s mom, and it was great to get to know her a bit before we met on wedding day. I just love moms!

Room 1520 has beautiful light and amazing rooftop views. Just look at these!

Now, I know you are already having a hard time handling all this beauty, but I have to tell you, Renee and Fabien’s celebration didn’t end here. They flew to France and said their vows again in a beautiful cathedral for Renee + Fabien Part Deux. SWOON.

Renee, thank you for scrolling through the hashtags and thousands of pictures on Instagram and finding me! It was a joy to be a part of your wedding day, and bear witness to your and Fabien’s incredible love, and the joy your family felt at coming together to share in your happiness. Every detail of your day demonstrated what a special couple you are. I wish you years of happiness and adventure, together! And thank you for being honest with me about what would make you feel like the most beautiful version of you, because that red lip… I mean, come on! You are a knockout!

And in a case of serendipitous timing, you can read Renee’s take on everything by reading her review of my services here. Thank you Renee! You were a highlight of my 2017 and I will treasure these beautiful pictures of you looking so radiant and happy.

I don’t know about you, but for me, 2016 was a year of exhilarating highs and very discouraging lows. I often say I make a lot of mistakes, but never the same mistake twice. I learned a lot of lessons the hard way this year and I won’t be repeating those mistakes. But this post is not about re-hashing my struggles and challenges. I had a lot of great experiences this year and I’d like to end 2016 on a high note, celebrating the happy achievements and sweet successes that will stay with me longer than the sting of disappointments. So join me for a little New Year’s Eve reminiscing, won’t you?

1. A Feature on Style Me Pretty

It’s still a thrill to see my bride Ally and her beautiful Room 1520 wedding featured on Style Me Pretty, thanks to the gorgeous photography of Betsi Ewing. I loved absolutely everything about this wedding, you really have to read the feature for all the gorgeous details! Trying to pick favorite images is almost impossible, but here are my top three:

2. A fantastic Milwaukee wedding

Another thing I say a lot is that I have the best brides, because I DO. I am grateful for each and every one. But some are especially dear to my heart, and Jenna is one of them. She was the manager at the Starbucks I frequented every day when I was still in the corporate world, and she cheered me on during my career highs and lows, pregnancy and maternity leave and subsequent dive into the world of freelance bridal makeup. She booked me for her wedding 2 years in advance, and over the course of her hair and makeup trials I got to meet all the women in her family and fall under their spell. What an amazing and fun group of people! Her beautiful wedding in Milwaukee was a definite highlight of my 2016 season. Bellow Blue Photography captured so many breathtaking moments! Jenna, thank you for letting me be a part of this magical day. You are the best.

3. First a sweet bridesmaid, then a radiant bride

There is no higher compliment than when a bridesmaid contacts me and says it’s her turn to walk down the aisle, and asks me to work with her on her wedding day. Julia got married on a beautiful day in early summer in the heart of Chicago. We started the day prepping her wonderful family and friends (who had met the year before at her friend Claire’s wedding, and I dare you to find a lovelier group of girls) and then they took photos in Millennium Park before an enchanted reception at the University Club of Chicago. I also got to meet Julia’s mom and sister at her hair trial (makeup for this wedding by Ryan Jaeger), so I felt like we were old chums by wedding day, and I just love that. 2016 was a year of great families! Lucky for me, the whole day was documented by Avery House!

4. Master Class with Anthony Gordon

In October I was thrilled to attend an intensive hands-on class with The Makeup Man himself, Anthony Gordon. Anthony has been a professional makeup artist in Hollywood for decades, and brought his amazing range of skills to us Midwestern artists and it was a day I will never forget. We were challenged to create 3 iconic looks from 3 different eras, 1940’s Glamour, 1960’s Mod, and Chinese Opera (!)and I was stretched wayyyy beyond my comfort zone. I learned so much and was reminded of how important it is to continue to seek out quality education and always be pushing myself creatively. Thanks to Your Name Pro Cosmetics for bringing Anthony to Chicago, Sonia Roselli for hosting the class (I got to meet so many other working pros, like Cass Barron pictured with her model) and to the fantastic Ben Fink for capturing so many cool images from the day. Thanks also to my dear friend Shannon for being my model for the day!

5.Trials as Try-Outs

To be honest, one of the challenges of 2016 has been facing up to how the makeup industry is changing. There is more competition than ever before, and I am choosing to embrace that fact as motivation to work harder than ever. In years past, clients would book me for their wedding and then we would schedule their trial so we could collaborate on a wedding look. Now, with so many options to choose from, brides are very particular (as they should be!) and want to make sure they find the right artist by doing their trial BEFORE booking. So a trial is truly a try-out to see if I can achieve the look they want, and if I am the right artist for them. Although I am not a competitive person by nature, I do get a rush when I meet these potential brides and have to demonstrate my skills and make a genuine connection with them. Happily, I have “Passed” every try-out and been booked!

Photo by Christy Tyler Photography

Photo by Bob and Dawn Davis Photography and Design

6. High Standards, Happy Customers

Another highlight of this season was Claudia’s wedding. She was my first “trial as try-out” and she warned me she had high standards, and I enjoyed meeting them. That her bridal bouquet was almost exactly like mine only cemented my idea of her having impeccable taste. I did makeup for her mom, aunt, sister and friend, while Magnificent Brides provided beautiful hair styling. Aside from the laughs we shared, one of my favorite moments was when her sister-in-law who had opted to do her own makeup (beautifully!) pulled me aside and said she was impressed with my work and wished she had gotten in on the fun! Thanks to Natalie Probst for the beautiful images from this day!

7. Being Featured on Glossible

As I said previously, 2016 has brought the realization that the beauty industry is changing. One pro leading the charge to maintain industry standards of artistic quality, professional conduct and overall integrity is Sonia Roselli. Not only is she one of THE top artists in Chicago (I do not exaggerate when I say I looked up to 2 people as I was getting started, Sonia and Bobbi Brown) debuted a game-changing skin care line created in Japan and the most sinfully soft brushes I’ve ever worked with (hello, Nudes!) but she has created a forum where makeup artists can gather to learn from each other, and this resource has helped me immensely this year. To be featured for my work with bride Ally on Glossible in the artist showcase was a true high point for me this year. Sonia, you have given me the fuel to keep going, stronger than ever in 2017!

Well friends, those are my lucky 7. I wanted to end this year focusing on what has been great, and resolving to learn from ALL my experiences. Thanks for sharing in this journey with me, and CHEERS to 2017!

I say all the time that I love my job-because I do! Every bride is so special to me, and it is such a privilege to spend the morning of their wedding day with them and their loved ones, helping them look and feel their best.

Katie got married in early summer–on one of the rainiest days of the year! But as you will see in these photos, she didn’t let grey skies stand in the way of celebrating! Since I was able to get so many stunning images thanks to Nicole Christine Photography, I am actually going to do a couple of posts about this wedding, because I really want to highlight a few different aspects of this gorgeous bridal party.

Let’s start by focusing on this stunning bride!

Katie, like many of my brides, doesn’t wear a ton of makeup in her everyday life. At her trial, she expressed concern that if she wore a lot of makeup she wouldn’t feel like herself, and her fiance might not like it. THIS IS A VERY COMMON CONCERN! But I’ve learned a few things in my years of doing natural-looking bridal makeup. The first is, you can be wearing what might seem like a lot of makeup (if you don’t normally wear much) but if it is applied skillfully, it won’t LOOK or FEEL overdone once the process is complete. Secondly, your significant other doesn’t need to know how long it took you to get ready on your wedding day, it is our little secret! And lastly, I am not suggesting that you wear this amount of makeup every day. You don’t wear a wedding dress every day, do you? Of course not! This type of makeup is special occasion! It is appropriate for the setting and your outfit! Lastly, this is going to be one of the most photographed days of your life. You need makeup that will enhance your best features, make you feel confident, and photograph beautifully.

SO back to Katie. We did her trial at her mom’s house. Katie’s mom is a lot like my mom. They are proud of us, think we are gorgeous, and they want their daughters to wear more lipstick! But having your mom at your trial is a great thing. We settled on a look that they both were happy with, and then Kay (Katie’s mom) wasn’t nervous about having me do her makeup on wedding day either. (Another common concern–moms worry they will look way overdone!)

Katie has beautiful, big, wide-set eyes. At her trial, we used a half-strip of false lashes on each eye, but after we finished on wedding day, she came back to my chair and asked for more! WOO HOO! I almost never say no to more lashes! LOOK at how gorgeous she is!

I almost can’t handle how amazing those thick lush lashes look! (And isn’t her gown just amazing?!)

I trimmed Katie’s brows just a bit, and filled them in with Anastasia brow powder in taupe and light brown. I used Kett airbrush foundation as I do with most of my brides, and we kept her look softly bronzed and glowing.

I always love the reveal!

For her lips, we wanted just enough color to look defined, but still natural. We went with MAC Creme Cup which is a pretty pink that she felt comfortable in and was MOB (mother-of-the-bride) approved.

I’m a total sucker for proud dad pictures. Look at the smiles on these two!

Ok one more so you can see these gorgeous lashes!

And I leave you with one more gorgeous picture of this lovely bride. I will do another post about her fun bridesmaids, and then a third about her beautiful and fun mom!

I shared in my last post about one of my favorite weddings so far this year. {K}’s party in June was 1920’s themed and each of her bridesmaids wore a different flapper-style dress, along with a custom made headpiece. They all looked amazing, and even better, this group of women knew how to have fun! The morning spent doing their makeup was definitely a highlight of my summer. I truly love what I do, but when I get to do it for really lovely people, I really appreciate it!

The bride and groom rented a sweet vintage car and EVERYONE dressed up for this wedding! Can you even imagine?

{K} also had a friend on hand during the prep portion of the day to take some getting ready shots. I especially enjoyed doing makeup on {K}’s niece, as she is the same age I was when I started to realize I seriously loved makeup, and I just have a heart for adolescent girls. She was delightful.

Side note: When did my hair get so long? Sheesh! And if you’ve noticed, I pretty much wear the same shirts when I am working, I wear this pink one from Express all the time, it’s comfy, doesn’t wrinkle, and I can move in it! For a busy mom, this is a good thing, I need easy to take care of clothes!

My other favorite part of the day was doing makeup for {K}’s mom. I truly love my bride’s moms. They are harder to win over, but once you have established trust, they are the sweetest. They’ve spent years taking care of other people, and rarely get to pamper themselves. This mother in particular was a dear. She waited to go until the very end, to make sure everyone else was taken care of, and then held her granddaughter on her lap the whole time! They were both the sweetest.

Love this shot of mother and daughter, glammed up and looking fabulous!

This really was a fun family, here is the bride with her sister, love that the sister wanted to do smoky eyes. And I love the ringlets on both of them! I wish I could take credit for these hairstyles but it was a friend of the brides who worked that curling iron all morning!

I will leave you with a color shot of the lovely bride. Thanks {K} for hiring me, your wedding was a highlight of my summer!

A special thank you to Kristin Kukla of Kukla Photography for these beautiful images!

Early in the summer, I got an email from a bride whose makeup artist had cancelled at the last minute. (I can’t even. What stress!) She’d been referred to me by a fellow makeup artist and wanted to know if I was free for a Saturday wedding. Normally in June, with only 3 weeks notice, no way! However, as I am constantly striving to balance my personal and professional life, I committed in 2014 to work one wedding per weekend, and for that weekend I had booked a Friday wedding. Well, rules are made to be broken, right? And there was no way I could leave a bride in need!

We made the arrangements, but realized with her real-life responsibilities and the limited time, there was just no way to do a makeup trial. I ALWAYS require a trial for my brides, so I was super nervous to forego one in this case, especially because I didn’t know the bride! My worries increased as I drove to her parent’s house that morning, because I realized she’d said the wedding was in a town that is known for its summer-long Renaissance Faire! Would I be asked to do Ren Fair makeup? What would that even mean? She had sent a picture of makeup she liked, and it didn’t scream corsets and 14th century, but one never knows. Determined I would satisfy her no matter what, I thanked my lucky stars I had a smart phone, and figured Google would help me if I had to quickly research Elizabethan makeup! Huzzah!

My worries were unfounded when I was greeted at the door by a beautiful woman with clear skin and strawberry blonde hair. As we chatted while her hair stylist worked and I set up my kit, I tactfully inquired as to what style she was hoping for, and she laughed when I confessed my Ren Fair concerns. “It’s a time period wedding but we’re not going that far back,” she laughed. “It’s 1920’s!”

WHEW! And, how FUN! This was by far, one of my favorite weddings to work on this summer. Every single woman that sat in my chair was so fun, we had a blast all morning. They each chose their own flapper style dress, and a friend’s mom made everyone fantastic headpieces.

The bride herself opted for a look that was all about the eyes. We used a strip lash and some dramatic shadows to really let her gorgeous green-blue eyes stand out. Here are some shots of the process so you can see the transformation!

About halfway there, she still needs lashes, lips and some finishing blush and bronzer.

WOW! (If I do say so myself!) Look at those lashes and that GLOW! I loved how her ringlets really pulled the whole look together.

This black and white shot is my favorite because she really could be a glamorous moll from the 1920’s, don’t you think?

And here is the happy couple! Cheers you two! Here’s to a lifetime of laughs and love, I think you are off to a great start!

Thanks to Kristin Kukla of Kukla Photography for the beautiful images! My next post will feature some of K’s fabulous family and friends. They were so fun, I had to do a separate post. Check back soon!

It’s kinda funny, as a bridal makeup artist, I am invited into people’s homes and welcomed to touch their faces, usually mere moments after we meet for the first time! It’s exciting but also daunting, because we’re each trying to get a feel for one another. I need the bride to be honest about what she wants to look like on her wedding day, and I am hoping I interpret that correctly! Sometimes I also have to help frame someone’s expectations, and explain what will and won’t work for them. Often at a bridal trial I can suggest that someone start using eye cream, or begin seeing a professional esthetician for brow grooming. These seem like little things, but when you are going to spend a day being photographed they make a big difference.

In Giles’ case, her bridal trial was scheduled for the night of her bachelorette party, which turned out to be really fun, as she included her bridesmaids in the action, and everyone got to get dolled up together. It also gave Giles a chance to wear her makeup all night, and see what she loved AND what she wanted to change for her wedding day look. I really value this chance to get feedback from my brides, because I want them to feel phenomenal when they walk down the aisle. I can do what I think is a flawless makeup application, but if the final look doesn’t match the bridal vision they’ve been dreaming about, they won’t feel truly confident and stunning.

After her trial, Giles emailed me and requested we tone down her blush, because she tends to flush naturally. And, although she found the strip lashes I applied to be comfortable (which is crucial!) she wanted a more subtle look. I was able to take these requests and adjust my application so that she felt like the best version of herself on her wedding day. That’s always my goal: to make my brides not only feel beautiful, but like the most beautiful version of their authentic self. Then they can really shine!

Here’s Giles on her wedding day!

For those of you who like product details, I used Smashbox Photo Finish Primer in Light, MAC PRO Longwear Concealer and Kett Airbrush Foundation, applied with my Kett Jet.

I applied just a touch of a light MAC Cream blush prior to airbrushing her foundation, so just a very soft coral would appear as a gentle flush. I contoured her using Benefit Hoola, applied with a very light hand. I used MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Medium Plus to give her a bit more dimension on her cheeks without veering in pink or red territory.

I primed her eyelids with TooFaced Shadow Insurance in Lemon Drop, and used various MAC shadows on her eyes, Eye liner is Bobbi Brown gel liner in Black, and I used Cover Girl Lashblast mascara in Very Black, then applied Monda Studio Lashes #213 using Duo Glue.

Giles’ lips are lined in MAC Subculture, and topped with Creme Cup. Here are some of her posed and candid pics from the rest of her day! Look at those lashes!

These two clearly have a blast with each other!

And these two bridesmaids, so fun! I loved coming up with fun eye looks to play off their purple dresses!

Gorgeous pictures from this summer’s weddings keep rolling in! Seeing my beautiful brides in their professional pictures is seriously one of my favorite things about being a makeup artist. For Giles’ wedding, I actually got a bonus. Her photographer, the fantastic Erin Hoyt, actually took pictures of me in action, and best of all, I don’t look gross in them! Sometimes by the end of a gig, depending on how big it is, how hot the room was, and how long I was up with my teething baby the night before, I can look really ROUGH! I actually look ok in these! (We’re always our own worst critic so of course I start analyzing what I could have done differently…but enough! We should all quit obsessing sometimes.)

But enough about me! Giles’ wedding was really fun. She scheduled her trial for the night of her bachelorette party, so I got to meet her bridesmaids too! I did their makeup as well, so that everyone would be looking amazing for their night out in Chicago. The great thing about hiring your wedding makeup artist for your trial is that everyone gets to know each other a bit, and things on your wedding day go that much more smoothly. I even wrote a whole article about it for Chicago Style Weddings, which you can read here.

Shameless plug aside, in the case of Giles and her bridesmaids, it worked really well to have had trials for everyone. I walked in on wedding day feeling like we were already all friends, and we had a blast. And now, I will stop talking and show you some pictures!

If you look closely in this one, you can see the makeup spraying out of my airbrush!

Talk about natural light! It was a pleasure getting to work in that room!

I have to concentrate really hard on eye liner. Even pros have to work hard to get even lines! I am almost sticking my tongue out here!

The big reveal. I am always nervous! Love to see the smile on her face.

Now it all starts to come together as her mom helps her into her amazing dress. Loved the sheer detail and applique. Giles picked the perfect dress for her style and figure and looked stunning. And can I just say, I love that wine lip on her mom!

And here is the beautiful bride!

We opted for very, very soft neutral blush as Giles said she flushes naturally and didn’t want to look too pink. We also used more subtle lashes for her wedding than we did for her bachelorette party. She really wanted the focus on her eyes, without them looking overdone. How did we do?

I hope you liked this sneak peek into what it’s like behind the scenes! Come back on Friday for this lovely brides posed pictures with her handsome groom.

I can’t believe it’s already August 3rd–this summer has flown by. In July, I celebrated one year of Tricia Clarke Makeup! As I look back on my first full year as a freelance makeup artist, I am so grateful for all of the brides and brides-to-be who have chosen me to make them feel beautiful for their special days.

As my busy summer draws to a close, I am finally able to start posting some of the gorgeous pics that are beginning to flood my inbox! It is always exciting when I see an email from a bride who has sent me her professional pics.Depending on the day and on the bride, sometimes my job is done and I leave before her dress is even on, so I just ADORE seeing the pics of my brides completely dressed in their stunning gowns, with jewelry, head pieces and colorful flowers. So get ready, because over the next few weeks I will be sharing some of my favorite brides from wedding season 2014!

First up is sweet Melissa. Oh Melissa, what a dear heart. This girl is special to me. I have known Melissa since she was about 5 years old, and she joined the Swedish Children’s group my family was in, I was even the folk dance instructor for a few years while I was in high school! ( I have never hid my nerd status and I am not about to start, so there!) While our parents lived in the same town, the fact that I was about 10 years older than Melissa meant that once I graduated from the group, I didn’t see Melissa for about 2 decades, but would hear through the grapevine that she was doing well. Imagine my delight when she contacted me last year and asked me to do her wedding makeup. It was so fun to see her again, and to realize that the sweet little girl I knew had grown into a lovely young woman, so composed and professional, but still genuine and charming and funny.

When we met for her trial, Melissa had already told me that she wears VERY minimal makeup on a daily basis, but understood that she wanted to look great for her wedding and to photograph beautifully. I kept my application to a minimum, and used a light touch in eyeshadow, and did only minimal contouring and foundation, as she really wanted her freckles to remain visible. Melissa took my advice and had her trial on the day of her wedding shower so that she could get feedback from her family and friends . Here is a picture of her finished trial look:

While overall she told me she felt very pretty, she shared with me she still felt like the makeup was too much. THIS is why I insist on trials with my brides. It is so important to me that they not only feel beautiful on their wedding day, but also LIKE THEMSELVES! Because we did a trial, I knew what I had to adjust on the day of the wedding, and I was able to give Melissa exactly what she wanted. Here is a picture of Melissa’s final look on wedding day!

To keep the look as natural as possible, I opted to use individual lash clusters, instead of strip lashes. These really blend with her natural lashes and just give her a bit more volume so that her eyes pop but are not too dramatic.

I also used a dark brown gel eye liner (Bobbi Brown, my fave!) instead of black. Melissa had a daytime, outdoor ceremony and we really wanted to keep the look soft and effortlessly lovely.

Using Kett airbrush foundation sparingly, I was able to really perfect Melissa’s already glowing skin so that it would look great in HD photography, but also not look “made-up”. Ooh, look, action shot!

As you can see, Melissa has great skin and beautiful rosy tone to her lips. It was really easy to make her look great, I just played up her eyes using soft browns with a bit of gold in the center of the lid to make her blue eyes pop. I also softly defined her brows using my Anastasia of Beverly Hills Pro Palette, which I splurged on this year and have loved SO MUCH! I don’t even know how I did brows before!

It was also a treat to get to see Melissa’s mom again after so many years. I love doing mother of the bride makeup, because often times, I really have to win their trust, but once I do, we have a blast. Like Melissa, her mom doesn’t wear a lot of makeup, and wasn’t even sure she wanted me to apply any! I use Benefit’s Porefessional to really smooth out her skin, applied mascara and defined her brows, and did a subtle pink lip–and VOILA! She still looked like herself, but felt special, as she should on such a special day! When Melissa emailed me and told her that her mom really liked the way she looked that day, I smiled for a whole hour. If I can make women feel better about themselves, my work is done!

Melissa, thank you for letting me be a part of your wedding day. You are beautiful inside and out. It was a privilege to be allowed to make you feel gorgeous and can I just say, I am THRILLED to have pictures of your beautiful face in my portfolio! I mean, just look at this smile!

I wish you and your husband a lifetime of happiness! And I leave you, dear readers, with one of Melissa’s favorites from her wedding day. Photo credit goes to Dave Jilek of George Street Photography. I love having these fantastic images–he really captured their joy at becoming husband and wife! Cheers, Melissa and Nate! xoxo, Tricia

Call me crazy, but to me, the scent of hairspray has always been the smell of possibilities. A morning filled with makeup, hair products, and helping girls look and feel their best is so exciting–I really do love working weddings!

For the last few years, I’ve focused on makeup. But I’ve always been fascinated by hair, in particular the art of the blowout and beautiful up styles. I always did my little sister’s hair for school dances, and though it’s been a while, I knew it was something I should pursue. Starting last year, I took a few mini-lessons from friends, and began practicing on friends and family.

I am pleased to say, I can now confidently offer hair styling as part of my services! I believe in living honestly and authentically, and it wouldn’t be fair to some of the extremely talented stylists I know to claim that I am as experienced as them. I am not. But I have a passion for it, and am always striving to improve my skills. That’s all we can do in life, right? Acknowledge what we love, find our heart’s desire and go after it!

With that, here are some pictures from the first wedding for which I did only hair! It felt so weird to leave my makeup at home and arrive with a just a bag of hot tools and bobby pins. But I loved it! All up styles in these pictures were done by me, makeup done by the amazing Makeup By Jaycie. ( I like to call her my mentor–she’s been amazing as I’ve started my freelance career. Check out her work and you will see why I find her to be so inspiring.)The bridesmaids who wore their hair down did their own hair, and the bride used her own personal stylist. I’ve done a few weddings now, with both hair and makeup, and I will share more pictures soon.

Thank you to Eric O’Connor of Allori Photography for the beautiful images! And Jaycie, thanks for telling me to just start doing hair already! You make me want to be a better artist, and I am privileged to be able to work alongside you!

What have you done that you thought was scary, and found out it was exhilarating?